Simple Purposeful Living Podcast

When life gets busy and your family is pulled in a million different directions, it’s easy to feel like you’re not getting enough quality time together. But what if you don’t actually need more family time, you just need to notice the connection that’s already happening? 

Today I’ll share three simple ways to stay connected in a busy season. From pancake Saturdays and car rides to quick errands, kitchen conversations, and inviting your kids along for the ordinary things you’re already doing, I’m sharing a reminder that little drops in the bucket still fill it. If you’re grieving a season of family life that has changed while trying to embrace the one you’re in now, this episode is your reminder that it’s not good or bad, it’s just different, and there is so much goodness waiting to be noticed right here, right now.

Mentioned in This Episode:

👉 For another resource on this topic, you can check out my How to Stay Connected as a Family blog post!

👉 Get your Simple Purposeful Living Gratitude Journal! Be sure to use code ‘PODCAST’ for 10% OFF your entire order!

🌟We’re here to help you live a life filled with intention and joy. Let’s stay connected and spark meaningful conversations on our vibrant social media platforms:

📸 Instagram: Discover daily inspiration and visual storytelling that will uplift your spirit!

👍 Facebook: Join our thriving community, engage in discussions, and get exclusive content!

📍Pinterest: Find a treasure trove of creative ideas, tips, & resources to live a purposeful life!

But wait, there’s more! ✨Don’t miss out on these amazing resources that will guide and empower you on your journey:

🍽️ Free 7-Day Meal Plan Guide: Kickstart a healthy lifestyle with our delicious, easy-to-follow meal plans!

🛍️ Simple Purposeful Living Shop: Browse our curated collection of products that spark joy and make everyday living simple!

📝Simple Purposeful Living Blog: Dive into insightful articles, tips, and personal stories that will inspire you to live with purpose!

Together, let’s embrace the beauty of simple, purposeful living!💖

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when the life you thought you were going to live takes a completely unexpected turn? That’s exactly what happened to my longtime friend Beth with her family’s incredible journey from foster care to adoption, raising six kids, and learning to trust God in the middle of it all. 

We’ll talk about the world of youth sports, the pressure, the politics, the identity kids can attach to their sport, and how we can help our kids remember that they are so much more than an athlete. Beth shares what she wishes she had known sooner, why she encourages her kids to pursue multiple interests, and how their family has learned to prioritize faith, family, and the things that matter most, even when it means disappointing a coach. 

We also talk about the beautiful lessons sports can teach, the importance of showing up, and how to support kids through both the wins and the losses. Plus, Beth shares more about Dream Big Honduras, the mission she and her husband started to help remove barriers to education for kids in Honduras. This is such a heartfelt conversation about faith, family, adoption, sports, and trusting God with the unexpected, and I hope you walk away with a tiny tweak (and maybe a little encouragement) for your own family!

Mentioned in This Episode:

👉 Get your Simple Purposeful Living Happy Notes! Be sure to use code ‘PODCAST’ for 10% OFF your entire order!

👉 If you loved this conversation with Beth and want more from her, check her out on Instagram @dreambighondurasmissions, and on Facebook at Dream Big Honduras!

🌟We’re here to help you live a life filled with intention and joy. Let’s stay connected and spark meaningful conversations on our vibrant social media platforms:

📸 Instagram: Discover daily inspiration and visual storytelling that will uplift your spirit!

👍 Facebook: Join our thriving community, engage in discussions, and get exclusive content!

📍Pinterest: Find a treasure trove of creative ideas, tips, & resources to live a purposeful life!

But wait, there’s more! ✨Don’t miss out on these amazing resources that will guide and empower you on your journey:

🍽️ Free 7-Day Meal Plan Guide: Kickstart a healthy lifestyle with our delicious, easy-to-follow meal plans!

🛍️ Simple Purposeful Living Shop: Browse our curated collection of products that spark joy and make everyday living simple!

📝Simple Purposeful Living Blog: Dive into insightful articles, tips, and personal stories that will inspire you to live with purpose!

Together, let’s embrace the beauty of simple, purposeful living!💖

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fall is finally here, and I am ready for cozy!

But before you run out and buy a bunch of new fall decor, I want to remind you that you probably already have everything you need to make your home feel warmer, softer, and more like a respite. That’s why ’m sharing my simple four-step approach to creating a cozier home: clear, freshen, cozy, and simplify. We’ll talk about why subtracting visual clutter can make the things you love shine, how to freshen up your space by shopping your own home first, and how to use all five senses, not just what you see, to create that cozy fall feeling. 

Plus, I’m sharing simple ways to reduce friction in your everyday routines, create easier rhythms, and lower the bar when “organized” doesn’t have to mean “beautiful.” You don’t need a weekend project or a shopping spree, just a few tiny tweaks that make your home feel a little easier, lighter, and cozier this season.

Mentioned in This Episode:

👉 Get your Simple Purposeful Living Weekly Plan Notepad and Gratitude Journal! Be sure to use code ‘PODCAST’ for 10% OFF your entire order!

👉 www.aquatru.com and use code ‘PURPOSEFUL’ for 20% off!

🌟We’re here to help you live a life filled with intention and joy. Let’s stay connected and spark meaningful conversations on our vibrant social media platforms:

📸 Instagram: Discover daily inspiration and visual storytelling that will uplift your spirit!

👍 Facebook: Join our thriving community, engage in discussions, and get exclusive content!

📍Pinterest: Find a treasure trove of creative ideas, tips, & resources to live a purposeful life!

But wait, there’s more! ✨Don’t miss out on these amazing resources that will guide and empower you on your journey:

🍽️ Free 7-Day Meal Plan Guide: Kickstart a healthy lifestyle with our delicious, easy-to-follow meal plans!

🛍️ Simple Purposeful Living Shop: Browse our curated collection of products that spark joy and make everyday living simple!

📝Simple Purposeful Living Blog: Dive into insightful articles, tips, and personal stories that will inspire you to live with purpose!

Together, let’s embrace the beauty of simple, purposeful living!💖

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if getting better with money didn’t require a massive overhaul, but a few small, intentional habits? 

Today I’m chatting with Crystal Paine of MoneySavingMom.com about simple ways to become more intentional with your money, from creating rhythms around budgeting to finding contentment with what you already have. 

We talk about the power of knowing your “why,” making small changes that add up, and one of my favorite ideas from her new book: consulting your 90-year-old self when making decisions today. Plus, Crystal shares encouragement for anyone feeling overwhelmed or ashamed about their finances, along with a tiny tweak and tiny joy that are making life a little easier lately. If you’re ready to feel more confident, peaceful, and purposeful with your money, this episode is for you!

Mentioned in This Episode:

👉Check out Crystals book! The 7 Habits of Financially Healthy Women: How to Stop Stressing, Begin Where You Are, and Build the Future You Want

👉And don’t forget your Budgeting Freebie from Crystal! 

🌟We’re here to help you live a life filled with intention and joy. Let’s stay connected and spark meaningful conversations on our vibrant social media platforms:

📸 Instagram: Discover daily inspiration and visual storytelling that will uplift your spirit!

👍 Facebook: Join our thriving community, engage in discussions, and get exclusive content!

📍Pinterest: Find a treasure trove of creative ideas, tips, & resources to live a purposeful life!

But wait, there’s more! ✨Don’t miss out on these amazing resources that will guide and empower you on your journey:

🍽️ Free 7-Day Meal Plan Guide: Kickstart a healthy lifestyle with our delicious, easy-to-follow meal plans!

🛍️ Simple Purposeful Living Shop: Browse our curated collection of products that spark joy and make everyday living simple!

📝Simple Purposeful Living Blog: Dive into insightful articles, tips, and personal stories that will inspire you to live with purpose!

Together, let’s embrace the beauty of simple, purposeful living!💖

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You asked, and I’m answering! 

I’m also sharing my simple approach to planning home projects, what my fitness routine actually looks like in my 40s, a little behind-the-scenes update on my second book, and how our evening routines have changed as my kids have gotten older. Plus, I’m sharing some of my favorite podcasts, where I shop for my girls, and a tiny tweak that’s helping me stay more focused and present by simply putting my phone out of sight. As always, my hope is that you walk away with one small idea you can try to make your life a little easier, simpler, and more purposeful! 

Mentioned in This Episode:

👉Tiny Tweaks, Happy Life Book

👉7 Tiny Changes That Make Dinner Instantly Feel Easier Episode

🌟We’re here to help you live a life filled with intention and joy. Let’s stay connected and spark meaningful conversations on our vibrant social media platforms:

📸 Instagram: Discover daily inspiration and visual storytelling that will uplift your spirit!

👍 Facebook: Join our thriving community, engage in discussions, and get exclusive content!

📍Pinterest: Find a treasure trove of creative ideas, tips, & resources to live a purposeful life!

But wait, there’s more! ✨Don’t miss out on these amazing resources that will guide and empower you on your journey:

🍽️ Free 7-Day Meal Plan Guide: Kickstart a healthy lifestyle with our delicious, easy-to-follow meal plans!

🛍️ Simple Purposeful Living Shop: Browse our curated collection of products that spark joy and make everyday living simple!

📝Simple Purposeful Living Blog: Dive into insightful articles, tips, and personal stories that will inspire you to live with purpose!

Together, let’s embrace the beauty of simple, purposeful living!💖

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some nights, getting dinner on the table feels like a full-blown event. You’re tired, everyone has an opinion, there are practices and activities and places to be, and somehow you’re also supposed to figure out what everyone is going to eat. But dinner doesn’t have to be fancy to feed your family! In this episode, I’m sharing seven tiny tweaks to make dinner time easier, including some of my favorite ways to lower the bar, simplify cleanup, and get the whole family involved.

We’re talking about serving dinner “bar style,” keeping paper plates on hand for the nights when you just can’t even, creating your own list of go-to “I can’t even” dinners, and letting convenience foods do some of the heavy lifting. I’ll also share how I involve my kids in planning, prepping, and cleaning up dinner, why meal planning doesn’t have to be complicated, and one simple thing you can do tonight to make tomorrow’s dinner 10% easier.

Mentioned in This Episode:

👉 Get your Simple Purposeful Living Weekly Plan Notepad and Meal Planner. Be sure to use code ‘PODCAST’ for 10% OFF your entire order!

🌟We’re here to help you live a life filled with intention and joy. Let’s stay connected and spark meaningful conversations on our vibrant social media platforms:

📸 Instagram: Discover daily inspiration and visual storytelling that will uplift your spirit!

👍 Facebook: Join our thriving community, engage in discussions, and get exclusive content!

📍Pinterest: Find a treasure trove of creative ideas, tips, & resources to live a purposeful life!

But wait, there’s more! ✨Don’t miss out on these amazing resources that will guide and empower you on your journey:

🍽️ Free 7-Day Meal Plan Guide: Kickstart a healthy lifestyle with our delicious, easy-to-follow meal plans!

🛍️ Simple Purposeful Living Shop: Browse our curated collection of products that spark joy and make everyday living simple!

📝Simple Purposeful Living Blog: Dive into insightful articles, tips, and personal stories that will inspire you to live with purpose!

Together, let’s embrace the beauty of simple, purposeful living!💖

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Does your brain feel like it has 245 tabs open as we head back to school? Between school schedules, lunches, homework, practices, appointments, emails, and all the tiny details that keep our families running, it can feel like there’s no room left in our brains for anything else. But what if the goal isn’t to get better at carrying it all, but rather to put some of it down?

Today, I’m breaking down what the mental load actually is and sharing five tiny tweaks to help lighten it. 

You don’t need to do all five. In fact, I don’t want you to! Pick one tiny tweak that could make your life a little easier this week and try it. Because you don’t have to overhaul your life to love it, you just have to notice what’s harder than it needs to be and make one small change. Plus, I’m trying something new at the end of the episode and sharing my own tiny joy and tiny tweak from the week. 

Mentioned in This Episode:

👉 www.aquatru.com and use code ‘PURPOSEFUL’ for 20% off!

👉 shop.simplepurposefulliving.com and use code ‘PODCAST’ for 10% off your entire order!

👉 E171 - How to Create an After-School Routine That Actually Works

🌟We’re here to help you live a life filled with intention and joy. Let’s stay connected and spark meaningful conversations on our vibrant social media platforms:

📸 Instagram: Discover daily inspiration and visual storytelling that will uplift your spirit!

👍 Facebook: Join our thriving community, engage in discussions, and get exclusive content!

📍Pinterest: Find a treasure trove of creative ideas, tips, & resources to live a purposeful life!

But wait, there’s more! ✨Don’t miss out on these amazing resources that will guide and empower you on your journey:

🍽️ Free 7-Day Meal Plan Guide: Kickstart a healthy lifestyle with our delicious, easy-to-follow meal plans!

🛍️ Simple Purposeful Living Shop: Browse our curated collection of products that spark joy and make everyday living simple!

📝Simple Purposeful Living Blog: Dive into insightful articles, tips, and personal stories that will inspire you to live with purpose!

Together, let’s embrace the beauty of simple, purposeful living!💖

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If the after-school hours in your house have been feeling a little chaotic, you’re not alone. After a long day of school, kids are tired, moms are juggling a million things, and somehow everyone is expected to seamlessly transition into homework, dinner, activities, and everything else.  That’s why today we’re talking about how a simple after-school routine can make that transition smoother, for your kids and for you!

I’ll break down why I prefer the word rhythm over routine, and how flexible rhythms can bring predictability without making your family feel like they’re living by a minute-by-minute schedule. You’ll hear how routines can reduce the mental load, cut down on negotiations and outbursts, and help kids build independence by knowing exactly what comes next. I also share my own five-minute after-school routine, from backpacks and lunchboxes to snacks, downtime, homework, and getting ready for activities. Plus, I walk through how to actually teach kids a routine instead of simply expecting them to know what to do. You’ll learn why visual cues, modeling, coaching, repetition, and a little patience can make all the difference as your kids learn to take ownership of their responsibilities.

And because no two families or seasons of life are the same, I’ll give you simple ways to tweak your after-school routine so it actually works for your family. From setting up your home for greater independence to leaving enough margin for kids to move at their own pace, these tiny tweaks can help you create calmer afternoons without adding another complicated system to your life.

The goal isn’t to create the perfect after-school routine. It’s to create a rhythm that serves your family, lightens your mental load, and helps everyone transition from school to home with a little more ease. 

Mentioned in This Episode:

👉Get your Happy Notes to send in your kids’ lunch everyday. Use code ‘PODCAST’ for 10$ off your order! 

👉My Favorite Back-to-School Books

👉Get your FREE Positive Affirmations List for Your Kids

🌟We’re here to help you live a life filled with intention and joy. Let’s stay connected and spark meaningful conversations on our vibrant social media platforms:

📸 Instagram: Discover daily inspiration and visual storytelling that will uplift your spirit!

👍 Facebook: Join our thriving community, engage in discussions, and get exclusive content!

📍Pinterest: Find a treasure trove of creative ideas, tips, & resources to live a purposeful life!

But wait, there’s more! ✨Don’t miss out on these amazing resources that will guide and empower you on your journey:

🍽️ Free 7-Day Meal Plan Guide: Kickstart a healthy lifestyle with our delicious, easy-to-follow meal plans!

🛍️ Simple Purposeful Living Shop: Browse our curated collection of products that spark joy and make everyday living simple!

📝Simple Purposeful Living Blog: Dive into insightful articles, tips, and personal stories that will inspire you to live with purpose!

Together, let’s embrace the beauty of simple, purposeful living!💖

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if your home could feel peaceful and cozy without becoming a minimalist showroom? 

In this episode, I’m chatting with home expert Myquillyn Smith, aka The Nester, about her new book, House Hushing, and the simple ways we can turn down the visual noise in our homes without getting rid of everything we love. We talk about why our homes can feel stressful even when they’re beautifully decorated, how to use trays, groupings, and intentional spaces to make clutter feel calmer, and her genius “backwards decluttering” method that lets you experience a room with less before deciding what actually needs to go. We also talk about seasonal rhythms, creating three-word filters for each season, and giving ourselves permission to let go of traditions that no longer fit our current season of life. 

If your home sometimes feels like it’s asking you to do one more thing every time you walk through the door, this conversation is full of simple, doable ideas to help you make your home feel more like a place of rest, refuge, and joy.

Mentioned in This Episode:

👉Check out Myquillyn Smith on Instagram @thenester.

👉 Get Myquillyn’s book: House Hushing: The Simple Method to Declutter and Decorate for a More Peaceful Home (Cozy Minimalist Design Inspiration for Your Tidy Home)!

🌟We’re here to help you live a life filled with intention and joy. Let’s stay connected and spark meaningful conversations on our vibrant social media platforms:

📸 Instagram: Discover daily inspiration and visual storytelling that will uplift your spirit!

👍 Facebook: Join our thriving community, engage in discussions, and get exclusive content!

📍Pinterest: Find a treasure trove of creative ideas, tips, & resources to live a purposeful life!

But wait, there’s more! ✨Don’t miss out on these amazing resources that will guide and empower you on your journey:

🍽️ Free 7-Day Meal Plan Guide: Kickstart a healthy lifestyle with our delicious, easy-to-follow meal plans!

🛍️ Simple Purposeful Living Shop: Browse our curated collection of products that spark joy and make everyday living simple!

📝Simple Purposeful Living Blog: Dive into insightful articles, tips, and personal stories that will inspire you to live with purpose!

Together, let’s embrace the beauty of simple, purposeful living!💖

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back-to-school season is packed with emotions like joy, nerves, excitement, and a whole lot of worry about what’s to come. That’s why in this episode I’m sharing eight tiny tweaks that have helped my kids (and me!) face new seasons with courage. From creating side-by-side conversations and normalizing anxiety, to adding comfort anchors, practicing new situations, and celebrating milestones, these small shifts make a big difference in helping kids flex their “fear muscle.”

Rooted in my experiences as a former first-grade teacher and now as a mom to four, this conversation is all about giving our kids the tools to navigate uncertainty with resilience while reminding us as parents that our role isn’t to remove the hard things, but to walk with our kids through them. This episode will encourage you to approach back-to-school with fresh eyes, practical ideas, and a little more peace as you help your children step bravely into the year ahead.

Mentioned in This Episode:

👉Check out Sissy Goff on Instagram @sissygoff.

👉Get your Happy Notes to send in your kids’ lunch everyday. Use code ‘PODCAST’ for 10$ off your order! 

👉Check out my favorite Back to School Books on Amazon!

👉And lastly, don’t forget to download my FREE Affirmations for Kids List!

🌟We’re here to help you live a life filled with intention and joy. Let’s stay connected and spark meaningful conversations on our vibrant social media platforms:

📸 Instagram: Discover daily inspiration and visual storytelling that will uplift your spirit!

👍 Facebook: Join our thriving community, engage in discussions, and get exclusive content!

📍Pinterest: Find a treasure trove of creative ideas, tips, & resources to live a purposeful life!

But wait, there’s more! ✨Don’t miss out on these amazing resources that will guide and empower you on your journey:

🍽️ Free 7-Day Meal Plan Guide: Kickstart a healthy lifestyle with our delicious, easy-to-follow meal plans!

🛍️ Simple Purposeful Living Shop: Browse our curated collection of products that spark joy and make everyday living simple!

📝Simple Purposeful Living Blog: Dive into insightful articles, tips, and personal stories that will inspire you to live with purpose!

Together, let’s embrace the beauty of simple, purposeful living!💖

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices